


History Lessons

by carolinecrane



Category: Big Wolf on Campus
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-30
Updated: 2010-09-30
Packaged: 2017-10-12 08:11:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/122777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carolinecrane/pseuds/carolinecrane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He's had this couch his whole life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	History Lessons

The couch had been up in the family room for years before he claimed it; he remembers using the cushions to make forts back when he and Becky were still young enough to get along. Back before she grew up and started worrying about her image, before she started calling him 'freaker' and salivating over his best friend.

He's not sure when the couch migrated to the basement, but he knows it was there when he handed over the big bedroom to Becky and moved downstairs. In fact, it was the couch that gave him the idea in the first place. He'd been down there looking for something when he saw it, and as soon as he laid eyes on it a fully formed vision of his new bedroom popped into his head. It would be his sanctuary –  
his own personal Fortress of Solitude – his very own Lair. A den of iniquity, only minus the 'iniquity' part, because that was such a messy concept and he preferred to keep things neat.

It hadn't taken much to convince his parents; he kept his grades up, after all, and they'd always kept a sort of 'out of sight, out of mind' policy when it came to their kids. So he'd moved down to the basement halfway through his sophomore year, and for over a year and a half it really had been a fortress of solitude. Then came the day Tommy burst into his life, and ever since then it had sort of become their place.

Even now he isn't really sure how it happened; sometimes in high school when they were hanging out on the couch watching a movie he'd look over and part of him expected Tommy to disappear. But Tommy always showed up again the next day to enlist Merton's help fighting the latest monster or to kiss him until he was breathless, or even just to hang out on his couch.

They've had a lot of firsts on this couch – their first awkward, fumbling kiss happened there, somewhere in the middle of an _Evil Dead_ marathon. One minute Merton was mocking the bad special effects and the next he was flat on his back with a very confused-looking Tommy hovering over him. And he'll never forget that moment, because their teeth clashed when he leaned up too fast and Tommy's elbow was digging into his ribs, but as far as he's concerned it was the most perfect first kiss in history.

The first time Tommy managed to get him naked was on that couch, and he still remembers the way his stomach trembled when Tommy touched him for the first time. He was eager but terrified, his body demanding confusing things he didn't really understand, but Tommy was right there with him and in the end that was perfect too. It was messy and the couch was a little worse for the wear when they finally exhausted their teenage libidos, but it was worth the time he spent the next day shampooing the upholstery. That was the day he discovered that he didn't mind messy so much after all.

The memory of that first time always makes him smile, and when familiar arms slide around him from behind his smile turns up a notch.

"You know, we could just buy a new one." The words are murmured in his ear, and he leans a little further into Tommy's embrace.

"Are you kidding? We've had this couch my whole life. Besides, we can't afford it," he reminds Tommy, even though they both know that money isn't the real reason he wants to keep the couch. They can't really afford it, not with Tommy just starting his internship with the Giants and Merton just starting grad school, but that couch represents a lot more than just an inexpensive way to decorate their new apartment.

Tommy's chuckle sends a shiver down Merton's spine, and he bites back a disappointed sigh when those arms slide off his waist. "Okay, we'll keep it. But first we've got to figure out how to get it up the stairs."

Merton turns to grin at him, eyeing Tommy's broad chest for a moment. He thought Tommy was strong when they were just gangly teenagers, but after four years on the college football team Tommy's practically solid muscle. Combined with his wolf strength, Merton's pretty sure he could lift the couch up the stairs all on his own. If he thought they could get away with it without any of the neighbors seeing them, he might even let Tommy try just so he could watch those muscles flexing under white cotton.

"I think we can handle it," Merton answers, moving around to the far end of the couch to give Tommy a hand. He sees Tommy raise an eyebrow before his features settle into an amused grin, and he knows exactly what Tommy's thinking. There was a time when he would have done pretty much anything to get out of proving exactly how strong he wasn't by trying to help Tommy do…well, anything, but they've both grown up a lot in the past four years. He returns Tommy's grin and lifts his end of the couch, only struggling a little as he helps Tommy carry a piece of their past into the future.


End file.
